A dangerous reunion
by fantasy is everything
Summary: AU. Way before Lelouch was ever stranded in Shinjuku, he played chess against his brother.


_A/N: A scene that's been haunting me for a while. I'm not really sure where to go from here (war and strategy are not exactly my strength) so don't expect follow-up chapters._

 _Read & Review!_

xXx

As the black-haired teenager got out of the sidecar, absent-mindedly dropping the grey helmet on the seat, his violet eyes roamed over the sight before him.

This was his second visit to this particular mansion, though the circumstances hardly differed from the last time. After all, he was nothing more than a commoner in the eyes of nearly everybody, and commoners were good for only one thing, really – entertainment. In this case, chess.

Lelouch would be the first to admit, however, that this description did not do the noble he was visiting much credit. Lord Trench was one of the few nobles he'd met so far he didn't absolutely despise. While he certainly had the ambition and the arrogance of the Britannian nobility, he actually had some skills to back them up.

Plus, he wasn't as short-sighted as to needlessly antagonise someone who'd just soundly beat him at chess. Quite the contrary – he'd offered Lelouch a job, to take him under his wings so to speak. Lelouch had had to refuse him, of course. He couldn't afford to step into the spotlight, but he'd actually hesitated for a couple of seconds.

"Ready for the match, Lulu?" His best friend and gambling partner flashed him his trademark goofy grin as he imitated Shirley's mutilation of his name. Lelouch only rolled his eyes in response, already far too much in the 'gambling mindset' (as Rivalz described it) to gather the power for a heated glare.

"Stop dawdling, Rivalz." Ignoring the outraged spluttering behind him, the former prince proudly strode towards the entrance of the magnificent white-and-cream building. It was a marvel of architecture, naturally – nobility would have nothing but the best.

The doors opened without him even announcing his presence. No surprise there, either. It was the typical powerplay he'd come to expect whenever he entered a noble's building. A standard procedure, really, a demonstration of who was in control.

"You are late." A butler stepped out of nowhere, tiny frown marring his face. It was a different one than last time, definitely a less pleasant one. What did he expect from Lelouch? That he would cower before him and beg for his forgiveness? He was unlikely to do so even before the lord he might have offended with his tardiness.

"My sincerest apologies." But nobody had ever been hurt by being polite.

Slightly appeased, the butler gave him a superior nod. "Lord Trench awaits you in his study."

After he had ordered another servant from the shadows to lead the way, Lelouch's thoughts turned towards the coming match. His opponent – as of yet unknown. Skills above Lord Trench's slightly higher than average skills. Superior attitude, probably backed up by some intelligence, at least – he'd deliberately made himself an unknown so he'd have the advantage. It wasn't unlikely that he'd sounded out some of Lelouch's trademark moves (not that he had much of those).

It would be an interesting game, indeed. While Lelouch was used to playing against opponents he'd never met before, he was certain that this match would be on an entirely new level. A gamble truly worth taking.

At long last, they reached the designated chambers and after a short announcement, they finally entered.

Even with his chess mask already in place, Lelouch couldn't stop his eyes from widening as he saw the people expecting the two students. Lord Trench, a glass of his favourite whiskey in hand … and the Prime Minister, expression mirroring that of his younger brother.

xXx

In retrospect, he really should have known better.

When the lords of Area 11 had spent what felt like an entire evening complaining about a student beating them all at chess with next to no effort, Schneizel el Britannia shouldn't have just been intrigued. He shouldn't have just felt the thrill of a challenge. No, he should have known.

Really, how likely was it that a seventeen-year-old teenager would find such an avid interest in chess that he could beat all of the nobility? How likely was it that a commoner would have the guts to challenge his superiors at their own game? It should have been obvious.

But it hadn't been. For the first time in what felt like years, Schneizel was completely caught off guard by a situation.

So what to do now? Acknowledge Lelouch as his brother?

No, that likely wouldn't get him any favourable feelings from the former prince. Lelouch hadn't returned of his own free will; he clearly didn't want to be found. Far be it for Schneizel to interfere with his decision, no matter how valuable an asset he could be if he were to return to the royal family.

This would have to be treated delicately. His favourite brother had always been independent, strong, intelligent, even when he was still a ten-year-old child. Now he was almost grown up, lived through the murder of his mother and the invasion of the former Japan. It would not do to underestimate him.

Yet if he could be convinced to return – no, not necessarily return. Lelouch would certainly have no interest to subjugate his will to the Emperor's again, not if he had the option to remain free and unshackled. But his skills and charisma would undoubtedly be invaluable, whether he was a prince or not.

The tiniest hint of a smile appeared on the Prime Minister's otherwise once again impassive face. "You are the infamous L. L., then?"

He received a slightly dazed nod in return, but it appeared his brother had mostly regained his composure. "I hope you can forgive the secrecy. I did not want to scare you away with my title."

To his surprise, his brother cockily raised his eyebrows in challenge. "You mean you wanted to see how I would react to an opponent of your reputation without having time to prepare beforehand. Your highness." The blue-haired kid next to him almost squealed in fright at his friend's audaciousness.

Throwing a subtle glance to Lord Trench, he caught several signs from his associate's expression. He seemed impressed by Lelouch's response, but at the same time not really surprised. Then this was how Lelouch addressed all of his opponents – sarcasm laced with a trace of superiority that certainly threw the nobility off-balance. They were, after all, used to being at the top of the pecking order.

Schneizel's smile widened a fraction. "An insightful statement." His eyes took in the tiniest movements from his brother, only indicating slight discomfort. So he either didn't mind that Schneizel knew about him, he didn't think that he would reveal him or he was a hell of an actor.

"The surprise doesn't seem to have given me much of an advantage, though." He turned towards the chess board, choosing the chair in front of the black. Another silent show of support. He'd take his cues from his little brother's moves. "Shall we?"

xXx

Ever since Lelouch Lamperouge had invited him to join on his gambling adventures, Rivalz Cardemonde had seen more of real life than in all his years before.

Their exploits brought them into such incredible situations he sometimes didn't even recognise himself. Certainly, if someone had told him a year ago that he'd now be in regular contact with nobles of varying degrees of importance, he'd have called them nuts. Now, it was almost as normal as getting up in the morning.

It had taught him valuable lessons, too. While before, he'd been a timid, insecure boy, he could feel himself growing up. He learned how to read people, to appraise their reactions to losing to Lelouch, to estimate the likelihood of them actually paying up.

He learned how to act around nobility, too, something his friend couldn't be bothered to do. To be honest, it had been stunning and frightening when he'd first heard how Lelouch treated his social superiors. And the most amazing thing – he almost always got away with it.

True, many were outraged at his condescending attitude. Yet almost all of them learned their lesson after only a few minutes into a chess match. Many things could be said about Lelouch – but he truly was a prodigy when it came to the game. That he was a genius at outwitting them verbally only added to the respect he earned by showing his skills as a tactician.

Rivalz couldn't help but be jealous of his friend's abilities. He felt petty and childish because of it, but that didn't change the fact that he often feared being left behind. Lelouch didn't truly need him to continue gambling – Rivalz may be the one organising the matches, but the real work was done by the black-haired teen.

It was a mystery to him why Lelouch was friends with him. Not only that, but why he was still attending Ashford when he could obviously already reach so much higher. Several of the lords had extended their hands in friendship and offered to sponsor him after their matches. Yet he had turned them all down.

As Rivalz watched the game that now unfolded in front of him, he wondered if this had been Lelouch's goal. Had he intended to build up such a reputation that he would finally attract the attention of royalty, of Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia, no less? Were the nobles in reality only small fry to him?

If that was the case, then Rivalz was in real danger of losing his best and only male friend at Ashford academy. The prospect frightened him even more than hearing Lelouch challenge one of the most powerful men in the world.

Yet Rivalz was loyal. If this was really what Lelouch wanted, if he intended to finally leave the school he sporadically attended, Rivalz wouldn't stop him even if he could.

"I'm impressed." Prince Schneizel's soft words tore Rivalz from his deep thoughts, returning his attention to the by now finished game. Wait …

"I lost." Lelouch lost?! Considering that he had never seen his friend lose a game, Lelouch seemed surprisingly composed. Almost as if he had expected it. Well, maybe he did have some respect for royalty, as opposed to his complete lack thereof for nobility.

"You did. But it was a much closer win than I've had in years." The prince smiled slightly, whether delighted at the win or the challenge, Rivalz didn't know. He looked up to meet Lord Trench's eyes. "I'd like to talk to L. L. alone, if possible."

xXx

Even after the doors had shut, the two princes spent several moments just staring at each other.

Ever since he had entered the cursed room, Lelouch's thoughts had been racing. The foolish hope that Schneizel had not recognised him had been quickly suppressed; his initial reaction was far too telling to lose himself in useless dreaming.

Numerous plans had gone through his head, each more ridiculous than the last. The truth was that he was completely at Schneizel's mercy, which did not sit well with him at all. But unfortunately, there was little he could do about it.

It was obvious that Schneizel was aware of that little fact as well. He didn't delude himself for a second into thinking that he hadn't revealed his little brother out of the goodness of his heart. Lelouch may have been one of the siblings Schneizel was closest too, but the second prince was ruthless. Familial bonds would not be a hindrance to him; he'd only acknowledge and cherish them if there was something to be gained.

"It's good to see you alive." The voice was calm, collected, with a touch of warmth and fondness in it. At the same time, the question about his reasons for not letting anyone know his whereabouts rang in it. Lelouch scoffed internally. If Schneizel didn't already know why he was hiding, he certainly wouldn't be the one to tell him.

"It's good to see you off-screen." He smirked at his brother. No need to obviously let him know of his resentment.

Suddenly, he couldn't help but clench his jaw. All this acting, all this scheming – this was not what family was supposed to be like! It might have been normal for him when he hadn't known anything outside of his life in Britannia, but now he'd seen Shirley, Rivalz, even Milly interact with their relatives. And sure, they all had their problems, but at least you'd never had to worry about being stabbed in the back.

"Are you alright?" Lelouch barely restrained himself from glaring at his older brother. He had no right to act as though he cared about the answer. Not after he along with all his other siblings had abandoned them.

"Fine. Just disappointed I still couldn't beat you, I guess." He crossed his arms in mock anger.

"Hey, I meant what I said earlier. It was really close. I could already see myself losing!"

Schneizel looked so horrified at the concept of losing, Lelouch couldn't stop himself from laughing. True, he was sure the prince had mostly faked the expression, and he was still far from ever forgiving any member of the royal family, but this reminded him so much of his time at the Aries Villa it almost hurt.

The two brothers used to do this all the time when Schneizel wasn't out furthering his position in court. At first, he had only started teaching him chess because he'd been bored. However, he'd quickly realised Lelouch's talent not only for the game, but also for the mental manipulation that could often secure victory.

Their casual matches had quickly become a routine, Schneizel taking more and more time out of his schedule to meet with his little brother. Maybe he had only been cultivating the skills of a potential ally, but there had been a certain respect, a fondness between the two siblings. Besides Nunnally and Euphemia, Schneizel had been the only one he'd had a semblance of a familial relationship with.

Here they were again, seven years later, and it was almost as if nothing had changed. As if his mother hadn't been murdered. As if Nunnally hadn't been crippled. As if they hadn't been thrown away as political hostages.

With those sobering thoughts in mind Lelouch's expression turned serious. "Where do we go from here?" Schneizel immediately picked up from his quiet tone that the time for playing games was over. He hesitated.

"It … It should be your decision. While I'd love to have you back, I understand that you might not have a very favourable opinion of our family at the moment."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes. That was the understatement of the year. What was Schneizel up to? "You'd just let me go?" Incredulity filled his voice.

Schneizel smirked at him. "Of course, after we've exchanged numbers and you've promised to call me regularly like a good little brother."

Suspicion and anger filled Lelouch's mind. So that's how it was. Schneizel doubted that he'd be able to convince him to join forces in one go, so he now played the generous brother who only wanted to re-establish a lost relationship.

He shook his head disbelievingly. It seemed impossible that Schneizel actually believed he wouldn't see through his little scheme. This wasn't about tricking him – this was meant to indebt him to his brother. By allowing him to remain hidden, he additionally had leverage to hold over his head when the time came to collect the debt.

Lelouch clenched his teeth furiously and glared at the prince. "Fine." He scribbled his number on a sheet of paper and stood up. "Is that all you need, your highness?" Every single word was laced with poison, but Lelouch didn't care. If Schneizel had really thought that honeyed words were all it took to appease him, he'd find he was deeply mistaken.

"Lelouch." Suddenly, the blond prince was standing right in front of him, hand on his shoulder in an unusual show of brotherly affection. "I'm sorry." The next second, Lelouch found himself engulfed in a hug, much to his mounting confusion.

"I truly am sorry for not standing up for you and Nunnally. We were raised to be selfish – it just took me a long time to realise that." Schneizel's voice was barely louder than a whisper. "If I could change my actions back then, I would. But we cannot change the past. We must always strive for the future. A better future."

He pulled back, leaving his hands on the dark-haired teen's shoulders to prevent him from bolting away. "I know we will not always see eye to eye, brother. I know it will take long before you can even consider trusting me again. But I relish in a challenge, and so do you. Together, we could achieve truly great things. For everyone." He smiled wistfully.

Finally, Schneizel let go of Lelouch, only pressing a business card into his hand. "Take care, little brother. And call me." With those final words, he strode out, leaving a confused Lelouch in his wake.


End file.
